Quinoa - do you have to rinse it?

I cooked quinoa the other night, and the package said to rinse it first. I did not have a strainer that was small enough to hold the grain, so I didn't bother rinsing it. I thought it tasted fine after cooking. Just checking to see if there is a reason for rinsing it?

Quinoa actually has a bitter tasting residue, different from your standard dirt. In general, it needs to be rinsed off...but...I think some boxed brands rinse it for you, so maybe you had one of those.

When I buy packaged quinoa, I don't rinse it because I always buy the same brand (Bob's Red Mill) and I never noticed a weird taste. If I buy bulk quinoa, I rinse it because I don't want to take a chance on making a whole batch and having it taste weird!

A way to enhance the flavour is to dry roast the quinoa before you throw it in water. heat up a frying pan on medium heat, pour in the quinoa, stir frequently until it starts to pop. Then rinse it all in a strainer & throw it into bowling water.

I've heard it can have a bit of a soapy taste unrinsed, but do not know for sure. I had a roommate in college (from South America) who rinsed it before cooking, but again, I've never cooked it myself and only eaten it a few times. I like it, though! Maybe I will cook some this weekend. Whole Foods Market, here I come!

I buy my quinoa from Whole Foods (only place I can find it) and I had the same problem. If fell right through my strainer too. I don't rinse mine anymore, and it tastes just fine.

Cellophane_star wrote: A way to enhance the flavour is to dry roast the quinoa before you throw it in water. heat up a frying pan on medium heat, pour in the quinoa, stir frequently until it starts to pop. Then rinse it all in a strainer & throw it into bowling water.